Manon MOLLE and Justine DREHER from France face Linda WESSBERG and Cajsa PERSSON from Sweden in the final of the Women’s European Golf Team Championships at the Gleneagles PGA Centenary Course this afternoon.
The French pair posted a 5&4 semifinal victory against Meghan MacLAREN and Michelle THOMSON (GBR 3) in foursomes match play.
Manon, who holed the winning putt from six metres on the 14th green for eagle, after Dreher hit a perfect drive to the green on the par-four, said: “The gold medal is in our minds, but we’re not focusing on that. It’s a big match.”
The Swedish duo won by 1 hole on the 18th green over Georgia HALL and Dame Laura DAVIES (GBR 1).
The British pair were three up after 13 but the Swedes won four of the last five holes, ultimately claiming the victory with a bogey on the par-5 18th, after the Britons made a double bogey on the final hole.
Wessberg said: “It was a mess. But it was a good mess for us.”
Persson explained: “They made double bogey. Laura missed her wedge shot in the bunker and then Georgia didn’t get it up in the bunker. Laura had to hit it again off the bunker and Georgia missed the putt.
“I was sort of in between clubs going in for the third shot and that green is not as big as it looks, with a lot of run offs. I had a lot of adrenaline and felt I needed to take less club and it wasn’t enough and went in the bunker. We hit over the green, then I putted up and Cajsa putted up. It wasn’t pretty.”
GBR 1 face GBR 3 in the bronze medal match.
Hall, the Ricoh Women’s British Open champion, said: “I’ll just go out there and get the match done as quickly as possible. It’s absolutely tipping down and it’s extremely cold, so it’s not very enjoyable. We’re just going to go out there and try our best.”
Thomson and MacLaren, who won silver in the Mixed Team competition on Saturday, were still keen to earn a second medal.
Thomson said: “It was out first defeat but we’ll try and pick ourselves up for the afternoon and hopefully pick up a bronze medal.”
In the men’s competition semi-final, Iceland’s Axel Boasson and Birgir Hafthorsson won by 2&1 over Spain’s Santiago Tarrio Ben and David Borda.
The second Spanish pair, Scott Fernandez and Pedro Oriol defeated Italians Francesco Laporta and Alessandro Tadini to progress to the final.
Iceland’s men will be looking for a second gold medal after winning the inaugural Mixed Team Championship with Olafia Kristinsdottir and Valdis Thora Jonsdottir.
